The MLPA “Initiative” and drone surveillance

A modern quad-copter drone (Wired magazine)

With lack of funding to provide for on-the-water support for Game Wardens to patrol MLPA North Coast fishing closures, it can reasonably be assumed that new drone technologies will be a prime method to keep fishermen out of closed MPA zones on remote Lost Coast waters.

Ironically, after the corrupt, privately funded 2010 North Coast Marine Life Protection Act “Initiative” officially refused to address questions from North Coast residents about seismic testing, sonar, oil drilling, nuclear power, ocean mining, fish farming, wind/wave energy or other ocean protections needed in the new MPA’s, the California Fish and Game Commission and other agencies are now embroiled in serious controversy over plans by PG&E and Southern California Edison to sonically blast the ocean bottom looking for earthquake faults off two antiquated and leaking nuclear power plants on the Central and South Coast.

The MLPA “Initiative” on the South Coast was led by Catherine Reheis-Boyd, the leading oil industry lobbyist in the Western United States. The MLPA “Initiative’s” Executive Director, Ken Wiseman, was formerly chief of the Board of Governors of the California Independent System Operator Corporation, (CAISO) – the corporation that markets and manages California’s electricity grid. Wiseman was appointed to CAISO by Arnold Scharzenegger in the wake of the Enron crisis – to, according to Wiseman, “clean up” the scandal that swept Schwarzenegger into office in a cesspool of corruption.

The 250-decibel seismic air cannons, also used by the oil industry to search for oil, would injure or kill thousands of marine mammals and millions of fish, that are seemingly in the process of recovering after five years of Central California fishing closures.

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New drones, unlike radio-controlled or remotely operated planes & helicopters (like US Predator drone aircraft, flown by operators thousands of milesaway) are “pilotless” and can be pre-programmed with GPS, to remain in thesky without a pilot – for as long as batteries or fuel lasts.

Britain is now the West’s most surveilled nation. No longer juston lamp posts, they soon could have camera drones in the sky as well, with nobodyflying them, just somebody watching the screen. Welcome to the Brave New World.

A British police aerial surveillance drone (Huffington Post)

“British Police minister Damian Green has backed the use of controversialunmanned drones to patrol the UK’s skies, to monitor criminal activity andprovide air support.

The Home Office minister said that remotely controlled drones in the UK’sskies should be treated like “any other piece of police kit.”

But civil liberties campaigners have argued the lifting of UK restrictionson drones could “eliminate the difference between public and private space”and warned such technology could be used by private companies.”